Post navigation

Thanks Lion Coffee!

Lion Coffee unveiled the new art wall, and the redesign of their packaging in May of 2018

I noticed today that Lion Coffee in Honolulu continues to support local artists with their cafe wall which has been displaying and selling local art since May of 2018. Oahu’s high real estate prices make running a gallery very difficult. It has been a wonderful help to us all to have restaurants, boutiques, and other businesses willing to share their walls with the local art community on a rotating basis so we can more easily sell our work. From the very beginning of the project, Lion understood this need, and they have been so supportive! This is truly an effort on their part to encourage the arts scene and give us all more wall space and more opportunity to sell work. I helped design the rail and line hanging system they have installed on the wall and tested it as their first artist. They are a joy to work with as an artist setting up display there too! I had a truly great experience working with them to establish this display area, and also during the installation of the show. Their friendly staff serves and sells amazing coffee!

This space has been open to artists for about a year and a half as of this writing. They reached out to me back in 2018 asking for assistance in knowing which types of display system to install. The timing was perfect because I had experienced the full range of hanging systems throughout the years of display with art guilds like Windward Artists Guild and Association of Hawaii Artists. Not every space works best with the same hanging system, but clearly in their situation, a rail hanging system with perlon lines and sliding hooks was ideal for security and flexibility considering the rotating displays. We crunched some dimensions together and came up with a two-rail system that spans the wall and offers hooks for up to 30 pieces, with almost infinite adaptability while reducing damage to the wall. Most artists will only be able to fit about 15 – 20 pieces of art depending on size of the pieces. The lighting and paint create a wonderful environment for the art. If you are an artist living and working in Oahu, you can call the cafe to start the process of applying for a show there. It’s a great space for a small solo show.

Lion makes amazing coffee, delicious pastries, and offers tours of their roasting facilities. The cafe is my favorite oasis in that area of town! I stop in when I am running errands around that neighborhood of Honolulu. The cafe is located at 1555 Kalani St, Honolulu, HI 96817.